Pool and billiard table stretcher.



Y. M. cmfcnmon. POOL AND BILLIARD TABLE STRETUHER.

AIPLIOA'JIOK FILED JUNE 1, 1910. RENEWED MAR. 30, 1911. 1,003,880.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

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1,0031880. PatentedSept. 19,1911,

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YVES MARIE CRECHRIOU, OF NEW MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA.

POOL AND BILLIARD Application filed June 1, 1910, Serial No. 564,428.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Yves MARIE Cmioir- RIOU, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Monterey, in the county of Monterey and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pool and Billiard Table Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stretchers for billiard and pool tables, the object of the invention being to do away with the old method of tacking the cloth on tables of the class referred to and substitute therefor simple and novel mechanism whereby the cloth may be evenly stretched over the surface of the table and taken up as occasion may demand, the mechanism also facilitating the turning or reversing of the cloth when necessary.

The usual way of stretching cloth on pool and billiard tables consists in tacking the margin of the cloth all around the table and when the cloth becomes loose it is necessary to remove the rails of the table, remove all of the tacks and drive the same again after taking up the slack which greatly mutilates and injures the cloth and also the frame of the table which becomes literally honey-combed with tack holes. By means of the invention hereinafter fully described, these serious objections are entirely overcome and much time and labor is saved.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of a billiard table showing the improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section through one of the tension rollers. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the clamping bar and binding strip detached. Fig. 5 shows the improvement applied to a pool table which is shown in plan. Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of one of the roller brackets. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of said bracket. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the bracket, showing also the pawl and ratchet mechanism for holding the roller. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of the device showing the cloth engaged and held by the roller. Fig. 11 is a detail view TABLE STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

Renewed March 30, 1911. Serial No. 618,006.

showing one of the pockets and the clamping wire associated therewith.

In carrying out the present invention, I provide in connection with a billiard table as shown in Fig. 1, or a pool table as shown in Fig. 5, a series of tension rollers 1 each of which is in the form of a hollow cylindrical shell provided at one side with a slot 2 extending nearly the entire length of the roller and adapted to receive a clamping bar 3 which is preferably of wood, said clamping bar being of the same length as the slot 2 and of a width slightly in excess of the diameter of the roller so as to pass diametrically through the roller as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 10.

The clampin bar 3 is removably fastened in place in the roller by means of a plurality of screws 41 or their equivalent which pass transversely through the clamping bar 3 and have their threaded ends fitted in threaded openings in the roller as shown at 5. To the opposite or outer edge of the clamping bar 3 there is fastened a binding strip 6 which is held tightly against the clamping bar 3 by means of the screws 4 which fasten the clamping bar to the roller. The edge of the cloth shown at 7 is inserted through the slot into the roller 1 and is held between the edge of the roller adjacent to the slot 2 and side face of the clamping bar 3 and is held still more securely by the binding strip 6, which at one side of the clamping bar 3 overlaps and overhangs the peripheral surface of the holder so as to securely confine or clamp the cloth against the roller, all as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Under the preferred application of the invention, two of such rollers 1 are mounted at each side of the table and one of such rollers at each end of the table, and each roller is mounted in a pair of brackets 8, one at or near each end of each roller. Each bracket is of sectional construction as best illustrated in Fig. 7 comprising a base 9 adapted to fasten to the side of the table by screws 9 or their equivalent. The projecting portion 10 of the bracket is recessed as shown at 11 to receive the end of the roller and is also provided with a pivoted section 12 which is pivotally connected at 13 to the base 9 and constructed at its free end to overlap the fixed portion of the bracket, as shown at 14:, the said overlapping portions of the bracket being secured together by a suitable fastening device which may consist of a screw. The brackets thus formed enable the rollers 1 to be easily connected to or disconnected from the table.

Each roller is further provided at one or both ends with a ratchet wheel 16 fast thereon and engaged by a pawl or detent 17 which is pivoted at 18 to the base of the bracket, said pawl serving to prevent the roller from turning backward after the same has been turned in a direction. to stretch the cloth over the surface of the table.

There the ends of the rails adjoin, the cloth is cut from the edge inward as shown at 19 and 20. so as not to interfere with the stretching operation, and in case of a pool table portions of the cloth are removed at the points 21 and 22 to make allowance for the usual pockets 23 around which the cloth may be secured by a clamping wire 24 after having been stretched by the mechanism above fully described.

It will be understood that elongated slits will be cut in the marginal portions of the cloth to make allowance for the bolts which secure the side and end rails in place and to allow for the necessary stretching of the clot-h past said bolts. hen the cloth becomes loose, the bolts at one side and both ends of the table are loosened and the rollers turned to take up the slack, after which the bolts are replaced. To turn or reverse the cloth, all of the side and end rails are removed from the table, the rollers are loosened or freed from the ratchets and the clamping bars 4 are taken out of the rollers. After turning the cloth, the edges thereof are again inserted in the proper rollers and the clamping bars 3 replaced. The rollers are then turned in the proper direction until the cloth is sufficiently stretched, whereupon the rollers are automatically held by the ratchets. The side and end rails are then replaced on the table.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, is

1. In a cloth stretcher for billiard and pool tables, the combination, with a table, of stretcher rolls arranged at the opposite sides of the table, similar stretcher rolls arranged at the opposite ends of the table, said rolls being provided with means to grip the cloth,

and means for locking each roll in adjusted position to stretch clot-h to the desired tension.

2. In a cloth stretcher for billiard and pool tables, the combination with a table, of a pair of rolls arranged longitudinally at each side of the table on the opposite sides of the transverse central portion thereof, similar rolls arranged at the ends of the table, said rolls being provided with gripping devices, and means for locking the rolls in adjusted position to hold the cloth at a desired tension.

3. In a cloth stretcher for billiard and pool tables, the combination, with a table, of stretcher rolls journaled at the sides and ends of the table, each of said rolls comprising a hollow body provided at one side with a longitudinal slot, a stretcher bar mounted in said hollow body and projecting through the slot to clamp the edge of the cloth between the same and one of the end walls of the slot, and means for locking each roll against retrograde rotation.

4. In a cloth stretcher for billiard and pool tables, the combination, with a table, of stretcher rolls journaled at the sides and ends of the table, each roll comprising a ho].- low body having a longitudinal slot at one side thereof, a clamping bar arranged with the hollow body and projecting through said slot to clamp the edge of the cloth bet-ween the same and one of the walls of the slot, a clamping strip longitudinally secured to the projecting edge of the bar to overhang and clamp the cloth against the periphery of the roll, and means for securing each roll againstretrograde rotation.

5. In a cloth stretcher for billiard and pool tables, the combination, with a table, of stretcher rolls journaled at the ends of the table, pairs of similar rolls journaled at the sides of the table in longitudinal alinement YVES MARIE CREGHRIOU.

Vitnesses E. C. HANSEN, H, F. LORBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 'of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

